Author Archives: Warren Anderson

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About Warren Anderson

Emmaus Road Worshipers is written by Dr. Warren Anderson, Director of the Demoss Center for Worship in the Performing Arts at Judson University (Elgin, Ill.), where he also directs the Judson University Choir. A Judson alumnus, he has served his alma mater in a number of capacities over the past 30+ years, especially the chapel ministry, which he led for 22 years. From 1982-2016, Dr. Anderson served six different churches--American Baptist (X2), Converge, Evangelical Free Church of America, Roman Catholic, and United Methodist--as a "weekend warrior" worship musician/pastor. He is a former member of the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine. The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily the views of Judson University.

A Word for the Anxious

Today I offer the second of seven devotionals written several years ago for Judson students about to embark on a missions trip to India.  The “80 wooded acres” is a phrase often used in the early days of Judson College to … Continue reading

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On Spiritual Mirrors

May is often the season in which college students serve on teams doing various ministry work both domestically and internationally.  At roughly this time last year, I was in Jamaica with the Judson University Choir, a life-changing experience for many of us.  We had such … Continue reading

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Brennan Manning on Resting in God

For those of us who follow academic calendars, summer comes to us–at least partially, at least potentially, at least initially–as a period of rest.  The fact that I follow an academic calendar and see that I haven’t written a blog … Continue reading

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Good Reminders for Worship Leaders from a Night at the Cabaret

One of my nieces, an accomplished singer who has sung in Cincinnati’s renowned May Festival Chorus, this past weekend coordinated a night of small-group Cabaret singing as a fundraising event for the world-premiere production of Morning Star by the Cincinnati Opera this … Continue reading

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A Prayer for Moving from Brokenness to Healing

  A few weeks ago, Judson University featured one of my all-time favorite chapel speakers, Rev. Ian Simkins, in a Spiritual Enrichment Week series of messages titled Beauty in the Common, with the word common taking on connotations related both to the … Continue reading

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Help for Harmonically Challenged Contemporary Worship Music Songwriters

In this space two weeks ago, I lamented the ubiquity of the I-IV-vi-V chord progression (and its same-difference variations) in contemporary worship music (cwm).  Over the weekend I listened to the new release from a worship leader whom I truly … Continue reading

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When Contemporary Worship Music Is Boring: A Worship Educator Wrestles with the End Justifying the Means

I am neither a music snob nor a music purist.  As I wrote in my last blog, I am the son of a music educator who revolutionized the world of music appreciation (for all who encountered his philosophies, anyway) by suggesting that Van Halen … Continue reading

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Why I Hope That Sweet Chariot Swings Low for My Dad in 2015 (and What I Need to Remember If It Doesn’t)

My father, Dr. Simon Anderson, shown here with my mother, Nancy, was a professor of music for over 40 years at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, one of the best music schools in the country.  Though he started … Continue reading

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Reflections on a Near-Death Experience at New-Year’s Dawn

My family rang in the new year a little differently this year.  Our noisemakers and strobe lights came courtesy of an EMT ambulance, whose sirens and blue-and-red flashers helped clear a path to the emergency room for my mother-in-law, who was resting uncomfortably inside following her cardiac … Continue reading

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Christmas Points to Easter (via the Ministry of Bob Bennett)

A week ago Saturday, Judson University’s Center for Worship in the Performing Arts hosted one of my all-time favorite singer-songwriters, Bob Bennett, for our annual Christmas Concert of Worship.  Several of our ministry ensembles–our Children’s Choir, Advanced Guitar Ensemble, Chamber Singers, … Continue reading

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